| Year Game Played: | 1961 |
| Game Name: | Aviation Bowl |
| Football Season: | 1961 |
| Visitor Name Short: | New Mexico |
| Visitor Nickname: | Lobos |
| Home Name Short: | Western Michigan |
| Home Nickname: | Broncos |
| Visitor Record: | 6–4 |
| Home Record: | 5–3–1 |
| Visitor Coach: | Bill Weeks |
| Home Coach: | Merle Schlosser |
| Visitor 1Q: | 14 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 14 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Home 1Q: | 6 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 6 |
| Date Game Played: | December 9 |
| Stadium: | Welcome Stadium |
| City: | Dayton, Ohio |
| Mvp: | RB Bobby Santiago G Chuck Cummings |
| Attendance: | 3,694 |
| First Game Ever Played: | yes |
| Last Game Ever Played: | yes |
The Aviation Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game played at Welcome Stadium in Dayton, Ohio, on December 9, 1961, between the New Mexico Lobos and the Western Michigan Broncos.[1] New Mexico won by a score of 28 to 12. Attendance for the game was 3,694.[2]
The Lobos finished tied for third for Mountain States Conference in their final season in the conference. The Broncos had finished tied for second in the Mid-American Conference. This was New Mexico's first bowl game since the 1947 Harbor Bowl and Western Michigan's first ever bowl game. Rutgers and The Citadel were asked to play in the game, but they both declined. Bowling Green was considered to play, but they instead played in the Mercy Bowl, a fundraiser in memory of the members of the Cal Poly team members that died the year before, after playing Bowling Green. Ohio was in the running as well, but they tied their last game against Western Michigan, 20–20. The two inch snowfall that fell prior to the game turned to sleet during the game, making the field wet.[3]
| Statistics | New Mexico | Western Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 20 | 18 |
| Rushing Yards | 339 | 96 |
| Passing Yards | 0 | 207 |
| Total Yards | 339 | 303 |
| Passing | 0-3-0 | 18-33-2 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-0 | 4-3 |
| Penalties-Yards | 10-90 | 4-30 |
| Punts-Average | 7-33.3 | 4-36.0 |
New Mexico did not win another bowl game until the 2007 New Mexico Bowl.[5]